dailyloe.com – Duke transfer forward Nikolas Khamenia has committed to the University of Connecticut Huskies. He entered the NCAA transfer portal after one season with the Blue Devils. This move provides a solid addition for the UConn basketball program. Khamenia will join the team for the upcoming season.
In his freshman year at Duke, Khamenia played in 38 games. He averaged 5.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. The forward also averaged one assist per contest. His shooting percentages were 44.4% from the floor and 34% from three-point range.
Nikolas Khamenia was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2025. This rating is according to the Rivals Industry Ranking. He attended Harvard-Westlake High School in Studio City, California. Khamenia was ranked as the No. 5 overall prospect in the state of California.
He was also ranked as the No. 4 small forward in his class nationally. The recruit was the No. 16 overall prospect in the entire class. Khamenia will join a UConn team seeking improvement next season. The Huskies fell in the national championship game earlier this month.
UConn recently lost freshman center Eric Reibe to the transfer portal. Reibe was the first UConn player to announce his portal entry. The 7-foot-1 center averaged 5.9 points and 3.3 rebounds this season. He also averaged 0.7 blocks per game during his lone season.
Eric Reibe was set for a large role following Tarris Reed’s departure. That will no longer be the case after his transfer decision. His best game came on November 19 against Arizona. Reibe scored 15 points with two blocks in a 71-67 loss.
The Arizona game was a battle of future Final Four teams. Reibe is a German big man and a former McDonald’s All-American. He is expected to be highly coveted in the transfer portal. His departure creates a roster change for the Huskies.
UConn head coach Dan Hurley discussed the offseason transition. He spoke on The Dan Patrick Show after the national title game. Hurley described the quick turnaround facing his program. The season ended just two days prior to those discussions.
“I think for teams like us and the teams that played in the Final Four and Championship Game, it hits you like an avalanche,” Dan Hurley said. “Your season literally just ended two days ago, and now you’ve got to make all these decisions. You’ve got to help your players make monumental decisions.”
With Reibe on the roster, UConn made its third title game in four seasons. The Huskies compiled a 34-6 overall record this year. Their conference record was 17-3 during the regular season. The team earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
UConn defeated several opponents en route to the championship game. They knocked off No. 15 Furman and No. 7 UCLA. The Huskies also beat No. 3 Michigan State and No. 1 Duke. Their final victory was over No. 3 Illinois to reach the title game.
The Huskies ultimately fell to Michigan by a score of 69-63. The loss occurred in the national championship game earlier this month. The team now looks ahead to the next season with new additions. Nikolas Khamenia’s commitment is part of that roster building process.[]
Source: Yahoo Sports
